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THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN PATTAYA
Pattaya may not have the very best reputation and beaches in Thailand. But on the other hand, there are many nice (family friendly) trips and attractions. Visit one of the water parks or the wooden temple, The Sanctuary of Truth. Or sail on the completely reconstructed floating market. Pattaya itself has no white beaches, but the island of Koh Larn a short boat ride away does! There are so many things to do and see that you probably have to make choices. To get you started we have made a selection of the best and nicest activities in Pattaya. Enjoy!
- Khao Chi Chan (Buddha Mountain)
- Silverlake Vineyard
- Nong Nooch Garden Pattaya
- Pattaya Floating Market
- The Sanctuary of Truth
- Koh Larn
- Underwater World Pattaya
- Koh Samet
- Art in Paradise Pattaya
- Ramayana Water Park
- Colombia Pictures Aquaverse
- Big Buddha Temple Pattaya (Wat Phra Yai)
- More articles about Pattaya and more
Khao Chi Chan (Buddha Mountain)
Buddha Mountain is a super-sized Buddha image on a rock celebrating the 50th birthday of King Bhumibol (King Rama IX). You can see the rock from a great distance. The Buddha image was laser carved into the rock and then filled with gold leaf. Buddha Mountain, also called Khao Chi Chan, is 130 meters high and 70 meters wide and the largest Buddha in the world! Khao Chi Chan is located in the middle of a beautifully landscaped garden with ponds and a number of small temples. At the entrance you will find restaurants, street food stalls and souvenir shops. Among other things, a framed picture of Buddha Mountain is for sale here if you don’t like your own pictures enough.
Opening hours, prices and location Khao Chi Chan (Buddha Mountain Pataya)
Open: Daily from 06:00 – 21:00
Price: Admission is free but donations are welcome. A cab from Pattaya costs about 500 to 600 baht for a one-way trip.
Location: Google Maps
TIP!
Combine Khao Chi Chan with one of the other attractions nearby. Silverlake Vineyard is one and a half kilometers from it, Ramayana Water Park is 5 km and Nong Nooch Garden is 7 km.
Silverlake Vineyard
Wine lovers take note: Silverlake Vineyard is an immense vineyard and the place to be if you love wine. The vineyard is located in the countryside 25 km from Pattaya and leaves the hustle and bustle of Pattaya far behind! The vineyard is built in Italian style and makes you feel more like you are in Europe than in Thailand. In the vineyard you can see how the grapes are grown. You also get to take a look at the wine factory and taste your two different wines or grape juice. A relaxing lunch overlooking the adjacent lake is also possible. Because the park is so big and it can get quite hot on the plain you can use an electric streetcar that drives you through the park. A nice ride!
Opening hours, prices and location Silverlake Vineyard Pattaya
Open: Daily from 09:00 – 17:00
Price: Adults 250 baht including 2 glasses of wine and a bottle of grape juice. Without wine, the tour costs 180 baht. Children under 12 years old pay 140 baht.
How to get there: Silverlake Vineyard is located about 25 kilometers from Pattaya, the fastest way is a cab, this costs 400 / 500 baht. There are also several tours to the vineyard that you can book in Pattaya.
Location: Google Maps.
Image: Pina
Nong Nooch Garden Pattaya
Nong Nooch Garden is a combination between a theme park and a tightly maintained garden of no less than 600 acres. Between the 18,000(!) different species of tropical plants and flowers you will see all kinds of creations and figures. Besides statues of pagodas, there are also some remarkable figures present such as life-size dinosaurs. This makes Nong Nooch Garden also fun for children. What is special is that there is even a car exhibition. It seems that at Nong Nooch Garden they want everyone to have an enjoyable day.
Riding elephants??
In addition to the garden with its special residents, there are different performances to watch four times a day. Young and old can enjoy Thai puppet shows, Thai boxing, traditional Thai dance and elephant shows. Unfortunately it seems that Pattaya has not yet fully realized that elephant riding is no longer of this time. Or at least there are still many people who want to take a ride on the back of an elephant. Also in Nong Nooch Garden you can unfortunately still take a ride on the back of an elephant or watch elephants do tricks like painting and playing soccer. But this is not the reason we recommend Nong Nooch Garden.
Opening hours and prices Nong Nooch Garden Pattaya
Open: Daily from 08:00 – 18:00
Price: Garden only costs 100 baht for adults and 50 baht for children. Admission with shows comes to 300 baht for adults and 150 baht for children.
How to get there: Nong Nooch Garden is located about 20 kilometers from Pattaya. The easiest way is to buy a ticket including transportation or take a cab from Pattaya. A one-way trip costs 400 to 500 baht.
Location: Google Maps
Pattaya Floating Market
The Pattaya Floating Market is a copy of the traditional floating markets in Thailand such as the Amphawa Floating Market near Bangkok. But even though this floating market is a copy it is still quite an experience to experience if you have never been to a floating market before. Pattaya’s floating market represents the four major regions of north, south, central and north-east Thailand. Each part has its own cuisine, traditions and art. There are an awful lot of food stalls and stores selling souvenirs and trinkets. If you like culture, shopping and good food you can wander around this beautifully designed market for hours. Fortunately you don’t have to walk everything and you can use the free train that takes you to the different zones.
Of course you can also view the colorful market from a boat that you can rent on site, it is after all a Floating Market! Every day there are free shows to watch such as Thai Boxing, traditional dance and music performances.
Opening hours, prices and location Pattaya Floating Market
Entrance ticket: 200 baht or 1,000 baht including all extras such as ziplining, a boat tour, photo in Thai costume and so on. The different activities can also be booked separately at the Pattaya Floating Market itself.
Open: Saturday and Sunday from 09:00 – 20:00
How to get there: A cab from Pattaya costs about 300 baht one way.
Location: Google Maps
SAVE MONEY
Are you an experienced driver and used to driving on the left? In Pattaya, you can rent a car for as little as €25,- per day. This is convenient if you plan to explore a lot and this can save you a lot of money.
The Sanctuary of Truth
The Sanctuary of Truth is one of the most special temples / museums of Pattaya and perhaps of Thailand. As such, it should be high on your to do list when in Pattaya. Not a single nail or screw was used in the construction of the temple and it is made entirely of wood! In woodwork, there are all small details that together with the wooden Buddha statues tell a beautiful story. → Read our complete article on The Sanctuary of Truth for more information on this unique temple in Pattaya that you really need to visit.
DID YOU KNOW?
The owner of The Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya has two more special museums in Bangkok. Namely The Ancient City (Muang Bong Museum) and the Erawan Museum which is housed in a mega-sized three-headed elephant, really!
Image: Grispb
Koh Larn (Coral Island)
Koh Larn, also called Coral Island is a small tropical island right off the coast of Pattaya. It is a popular tour and day trip from Pattaya and Jomtien. The island has insane white beaches and wonderfully clear seas. There are plenty of activities to do such as paragliding, water skiing and snorkeling. You can even walk on the seabed in a special suit where diving experience is not necessary. But renting a scooter and discovering the island and beaches by yourself is also a possibility. You can visit Koh Larn with a travel agency possibly in combination with the aforementioned activities. You can also travel to the island yourself and discover the island by scooter and stay overnight.
Koh Larn is easily reached by ferry or speedboat from Pattaya and Jomtien. → Read our complete article about the island of Koh Larn.
Image: Konstantin
Underwater World Pattaya
Underwater World in Pattaya is a large aquarium with fresh and saltwater fish, the most beautiful fish swim past you. The highlight of the aquarium is the more than 100 meter long tunnel which you can walk under. Before you know it you are surrounded by various species of sharks, rays, turtles and lots of beautiful tropical fish! Kids (and adults) can also feed fish at Underwater World Pattaya. Of course, everybody’s big favorite Nemo is there too. At set times divers enter the aquarium to feed the fish. The fish, yes even the sharks almost eat out of their hands!
The aquarium is not very big, but if you are interested in marine life you will be busy for a few hours.
Opening hours, prices and location Underwater World Pattaya
Open: Daily from 9:00 to 18:00
Price: Children between 100 – 130 cm pay 300 baht and adults 500 baht.
Location: Sukhumvit Road 11, Jomtien
ALSO READ
Our article about Sea Life Bangkok.
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Koh Samet
Koh Samet is a popular weekend getaway from major cities like Pattaya and Bangkok. It is a beautiful small island with beautiful beaches, white sand and blue-green sea. The island is part of the Khao Laemya National Park.
The main beach and the area around the pier is crowded with backpackers and people who like to party. There are many bars and shops and therefore the island does not look paradisiacal at first sight. But if you are not a party or bar lover there are plenty of quiet palm fringed beaches. The island is not very big so grab a bike or rent a scooter and go for example to the quiet beautiful Candlelight Beach. You’ll be back in familiar Thailand!
How to get to Koh Samet and what does it cost?
Koh Samet is located off the coast of Rayong at 80 km from Pattaya and more about 200 km from Bangkok. From Pattaya you are more than two hours away. A return ticket by minibus costs about 1,000 baht. Another option, and convenient if you’re traveling from Bangkok, is to book your trip to Koh Samet online with 12go Asia.
You pay 20 baht “island fee” upon arrival at Koh Samet and 300 baht because Koh Samet is part of the national park if you want to visit the beaches. This ticket is valid for five days.
Art In Paradise Pattaya
The paintings have different themes such as: aqua, safari, classic art, fantasy and nature. Because of this, everyone is taken into account. For example, one time you will be swallowed by a shark while the next painting looks like you are falling into an abyss! The paintings are really beautifully done and in addition you can download a free app for extra tips and effects. This way you can take even more beautiful pictures and add moving images.
Art In Paradise is also a lot of fun for children, they can walk around and immerse themselves in the fantasy world. A fun outing with the family!
Opening hours, prices and location Art in Paradise Pattaya
Open: Daily from 09:00 to 22:30 (last entry at 21:30)
Price: Children less than 100 cm free, children between 100 – 130 cm 200 baht and adults 400 baht.
Location: Soi 9 Pattaya Second Road (Jomtien)
Ramayana Water Park
Ramayana Water Park is a fun attraction for the whole family. The water park has three pools with a total of no less than 21 slides! It is not for nothing that it is the largest water park in Thailand! You can relax on the sandy beach or in the lazy river. There are also fun water activities for small children. In this water park in Pattaya you can easily entertain yourself for a whole day. To “home” to eat is not necessary because there are several places in the water park where you can eat something.
Opening hours, prices and location Ramayana Water Park Pattaya
Open: Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 – 18:00
Price: Adults = 1,190 baht / Children (91-121 cm) = 890 baht / Babies and children smaller than 90 cm = free. Also check out Ramayana Water Park’s Facebook or website, there are regular discounts and package deals.
How to get there: There is a minibus service for 120 baht per person. This can be booked on the water park’s website. A cab from the city center will cost around 600 baht.
Location: Google Maps
Colombia Pictures Aquaverse (gaat open in 2022)
Are you going to Thailand with the family in 2022 and spending the night in Jomtien or Pattaya? Then the Aquaverse Water & Theme Park might be for you! This giant water and theme park is all about the movies from Colombia Pictures (part of Sony Pictures). Famous (cartoon) movies like Ghostbusters, Men in Black, Jumanji and Hotel Transylvania are translated here in the theme park. Expect lots of water fun, super-fast go-kart tracks, surprise elements and tasty snacks and drinks everywhere. For the real daredevils there are also some cool activities to be found. You can choose from various water slides resulting in buckling knees and an accelerated heartbeat. But you can also relax, how about the 335 meters long Lazy River along various film clips from the cartoons Cloudy with a chance of Meat Balls, winding through the water park. There are also fun activities for small children such as foam pools and entertaining shows.
Opening hours, prices and location Colombia Pictures Aquaverse Pattaya
Opening hours: Unknown but we estimate from the shuttle bus times that this amusement park will be open 09:00 and 18:00 daily.
Price: for current prices, combo packages and discounts, please visit the Colombia Pictures Aquaverse website or Facebook page.
How to get there: Shuttle buses to the amusement park leave Pattaya and Jomtien at 9:00 and 11:00 and return to Pattaya Jomtien at 16:00 and 18:00.
Price for the shuttle bus: A return ticket costs 200 baht per person if you book online 24 hours in advance. Otherwise, a return ticket costs 400 baht.
Location: Google Maps
Big Buddha Temple Pattaya (Wat Phra Yai)
The Big Buddha Temple in Pattaya, also called Buddha on the Hill or Wat Phra Yai, is the largest Buddha in Pattaya and Chonburi Province. This enormous Buddha stands on a hill south of Pattaya. The 130 meter high hill, rather mountain, is called Khao Chee Chan but also listens to the name Buddha Mountain, you can understand why … From the hill you have phenomenal views over Pattaya, Jomtien Beach and the ocean. Inside the temple complex are even smaller Buddha statues. If you want, you can get blessed by a monk or make a donation at the statue on the date of your birthday. This brings good luck and is good for your karma points! In addition, donations are used to maintain the temple, so win win!
Although the temple is near the touristy Pattaya Beach and there are many tourists, it is really a spiritual place. The Big Buddha temple was built in 1977 long before the tourists came in large numbers to Pattaya. Women are required to wear a long skirt or pants that cover the knees, free sarongs are loaned at the entrance for this purpose.
Some sporty people walk to the Big Buddha, it is about 5 kilometers from central Pattaya Beach. Just remember that this temple is nicknamed Temple on the Hill for a reason….
ALSO READ
We have written about another “Temple on the Hill” before, namely the Wat Phra That Mae Yen in Pai.
Opening hours, prices and location Big Buddha Temple Pattaya
Open: Daily from 06:00 – 18:00
Price: Admission to the Big Buddha Temple Pattaya is free.
How to get there: By cab, it is a 5 minute drive from Pattaya Beach. A cab / songthaew costs around 200 baht. There are also several tours that can be booked that combine the Big Buddha Temple with other attractions in Pattaya.
Location: Google Maps
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